Mixed Grazing (Cattle & Sheep)

Remote Monitoring Provides On-Farm Labour Savings

James & Jodie Young

'Eulong'
Near Cavendish, Western Victoria
A wide outdoor landscape with a grassy field, scattered trees, and a cloudy sky. In the lower left, part of a light-colored trough or container sits in the grass.

Through the AgVic Smart Farm Sensor Demonstration, James and Jodie Young integrated Farmo remote monitoring to safely manage an out-block 30km away, capturing massive labour savings and protecting their livestock across a expansive grazing operation.

Farmo Deviced Deployed

Electric Fence Sensor
Trough Sensors (They used an older model)
Tank Depth Sensors (They used an older model)
Gate Sensors

$4,760

Estimated Net Annual Savings

By transitioning to management-by-exception on their 30km out-block alone, the Youngs recouped thousands in labor, fuel, and vehicle wear-and-tear in the very first year.

75%

Reduction in Fence Inspection Trips

Instead of paying an employee to drive a 60km return trip at least twice a week to check wires, automated voltage alerts cut routine physical checks down to just once a fortnight.

50%

Fewer Manual Water Tank Checks

Routine tank climbs dropped from every single week to once a fortnight. Continuous pressure-probe monitoring took the guesswork out of water levels, giving the team total visibility over usage and refills from the dashboard.

The Challenge

Managing a geographically dispersed operation with a critical out-block located 30km away created immense logistical hurdles, high labor costs, and operational risks.
The Daily Run: Prior to the installation, the Youngs had to pay an employee to make a 60km return trip at least twice a week just to manually check the out-block's electric fence line for faults.
The Stock Risks: Water infrastructure required constant physical oversight. Troughs and tanks had to be checked up to twice a week outside of summer, and daily during peak summer heat to avoid the catastrophic risks of dry troughs, livestock dehydration, pregnancy loss, and stock stress.
Security Blindspots: With the out-block being completely remote, the family had no visibility over whether gates were inadvertently left open or if unauthorised traffic was entering the property.

The Solution

Participating in the Smart Farm Sensor Demonstration enabled the Youngs to transition 'Eulong' from reactive manual labour to data-driven, remote oversight.
Deployment & Setup: The Youngs deployed a multi-sensor ecosystem. Electric fence sensors were mapped to the boundaries, digital sensors were placed in water troughs, a pressure probe was installed at the base of the water tanks, and magnetic latches were fitted onto gates.
Electric Fences: The dashboard triggers an automated SMS alert the second the voltage drops below a set threshold, letting James know exactly when a physical inspection is required.
Water Management: Trough and tank levels are visible instantly on the Farmo web dashboard, actively tracking usage patterns and sending immediate low-water notifications.
Security: The gate sensors register exactly when a metal latch is opened, sending a timestamped alert to monitor traffic.

For James and Jodie, the biggest takeaway was the confidence to remotely manage our out-block 30km away and immediately achieve labor savings. The alert service provides peace of mind to know when there is traffic on their property.

Key Takeaways

Confidence to Monitor from a Distance

Deploying IoT sensors on a distant out-block (30km+ away) successfully shifts operations from rigid, time-consuming manual checks to data-driven monitoring.

Data-Driven Leak & Pump Diagnostics

Monitoring water assets goes beyond just checking if a tank is full or empty. Tracking live flow patterns (knowing exactly when a tank is filling or draining) allows producers to immediately diagnose hidden pipe leaks or pump failures before they escalate into critical stock stress or water loss.

24/7 Security for Unattended Blocks

Managing remote acreage creates vulnerability to property breaches or gates being left open. Integrating simple magnetic gate sensors provides a timestamped log of all intended or unintended traffic, giving farmers total visibility and peace of mind over unattended land.